On this Small Business Saturday (albeit late on Saturday) I’d like to feature one of my very good friends who is also a stay at home mom working several small businesses to contribute financially to her family while also being the primary caregiver to her beautiful two year old son. Miranda Gonzales is a woman of very many talents, and is highly dedicated to making time in her life to cultivate all her passions. She is passionate about healthy, clean eating; an artist with a crochet hook; and the first In a Pikle independent consultant in our area. Miranda and I met at a local library story time weekly event and became fast friends. I am an avid supporter of all my friends in their businesses, but I especially enjoy supporting this woman because her heart is so pure and genuine. Also, I just LOVE the beautiful hand crocheted specialty items she makes, and am obsessed with the Pikles she pedals (yes, I do love opportunities for alliteration!).
In a Pikle, is a company that sells fun & fancy wallet sized emergency kits, that literally carry anything you might need if you were to find yourself in a pickle! I hosted a party a few weeks ago and earned lots of free and half priced items that I will be sharing pictures of with you, as examples of just how useful a Pikle can be and the many options for its uses.
But first, I’d like Miranda to talk a little about her business and experience as a small business owner.
“Hi! I’m Miranda. 27 year old, SAHM of a wonderfully energetic and bright two year old boy. The mental and emotional adjustment of going from what I considered a vibrant, active life as a single career woman to married and shortly after with a kid, had it’s ups and downs. I’m driven, I still have personal goals. One of them is feeling inside of me that I’m contributing in every way possible, including financial, without taking away from my kid’s time with me. With that said, I’m not into direct sales. That’s what most moms say right before they’re driving all their friends away in every direction with countless invites to Mary Kay parties.
There are so many great companies one can buy into as a direct marketing consultant. Usually if you’ve heard of one, you can throw a stone in any direction and hit three of them from the same company. When I went to a In a Pikle party, it was the first time I’d heard of the product, the consultant was the only one in a 50-100 mile radius of my area, and it’s a company still in it’s first 5 years. Those factors combined with the uniqueness of a product that is attractive and so multi-functional, created in me a strong urge to give it a go. So that’s what I’m doing.
I’m encouraged to stay with this company because of their philosophy behind having no “C” in Pikle. They don’t believe in competition, but rather supporting and helping each other grow. I’ve already experienced that from their support group that is actually supportive. All the women in the group are trying to make an extra buck for their families. When they could be consumed with their own parties and sales, they instead show up at each other’s parties to bolster the efforts of the other consultant.
Direct marketing of 2014 is not the business plan I witnessed as a little girl sprawled on the floor of random homes I got dragged to month after month with a mother who would frequently attend and host parties for various products; Mary Kay, Tupperware, Home Interior, and so many more. People definitely do not welcome hosting or attending house parties in our mobile-device driven world. Marketing is largely done on Facebook from what I can tell, and not always successfully. However, not only is it convenient to those who do decide to show up, it’s great for the mom throwing the party because she get’s to do it after her kid goes to bed! So I’m giving it a go. I stay up anywhere from 12am-2am, catch roughly (and very rough most nights) 4 hours of sleep. Get started with minimum 4 cups of joe, go hard with stuff in the home til 8 or 9pm, then do my small business tasks, and repeat… probably until the day I die. It’s the life I chose, and every day I choose to fall in love with it all over again!
Thank you Laura so much for the opportunity to appear on your fantastic blog! Best of luck to all of my direct marketing compatriots on Small Business Saturday!”
So, What’s a Pikle??
It’s a super cute, very organized way of keeping up with just about ANYTHING!
It’s great as an Emergency Kit for your car (or anywhere):
This one is packed with everything from tissues to a pocket knife, tool card, matches and mini screw drivers!
It even has insect repellent, sunscreen, hand sanitizer and a spot remover pen!
I’ve got one to organize the chaos from my purse where I carry everything but the kitchen sink…
This one has a small perfume bottle (filled with my favorite perfume), lip gloss, hand sanitizer, spot removal pen, a small note pad & pen, hair ties, bobby pins, pill box with pain relievers, mini screw drivers, small scissors, gum, tums, you name it, it’s in this! And it fits in my purse perfectly next to my wallet.
They’ve also got a bigger style called the Bundle Pikle, it’s PERFECT for a makeup bag, toddler “baby bag” or my favorite use is to organize my other obsession, my Jamberry wrap necessities!
This is the Bundle Pikle (on right) next to my purse organizer Pikle (left) for size comparison sake.
Side view comparison.
The Bundle Pikle has JUST been released and only comes in two colors/styles at the moment; black and green:
Black Bundle Pikle
Green Bundle Pikle
Here’s how I use my Black Bundle Pikle as my baby bag when I take my 21 month old daughter out with me for the day:
I love the organization of the clear pockets so I can quickly find whatever it is I need for my little one. Also, the straps on the right are great for holding a small container of wipes and a few diapers (I also have a tube of diaper cream tucked in there).
Even my large Vera Bradley wallet fits in the side pocket so it also doubles as my purse for the day!
And last, but certainly not least, how I used my Green Bundle Pikle to organize my Jamberry accessories:
I’ve got my nail utensils, polish remover pads, my Jamberry wraps, and my mini heater (right side in straps, with the cord in the left hand pocket) all neatly organized in my Bundle ready at a moment’s notice!
As you can see, I am a big fan of organization, which is probably why I fell in love with In a Pikle’s product so quickly!
If you are interested in learning more about In a Pikle, or Miranda’s other businesses, please click the links below to find her websites and fan page on Facebook.
http://parties.inapikle.com/MRSPikles
http://shopdelightfullysweet.com
https://www.facebook.com/DelightfullySweetShopAndBlog
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and learn about another small business woman!
Healthy Habits Heal 